“Lovely Bones” Author to Speak at WSU

March 22, 2006

OGDEN, Utah – Alice Sebold, acclaimed author of “The Lovely Bones,” will speak at Weber State University, March 30 at noon in the Shepherd Union Ballroom.

The presentation, part of WSU’s Convocation Lecture Series, will feature readings by Sebold combined with opportunities for the audience to respond and interact with her. The event is free to the public.

Sebold’s appearance is sponsored by Student Activities in conjunction with WSU’s National Undergraduate Literature Conference. The conference, which runs from March 30-April 1, is the only one in the nation solely devoted to helping undergraduate students hone their writing skills.

“The Lovely Bones,” Sebold’s novel about loss and redemption, was one of the best-reviewed novels of 2002. The book quickly became an unprecedented international bestseller, with translations in 36 languages and American hardcover sales of nearly three million copies. Three months after the publication of “The Lovely Bones,” Sebold’s 1999 memoir “Lucky,” an account of her rape at the age of 18 and the trial that followed, was reissued in paperback. This searing account of violence and the criminal justice system also rose to No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list and brought recognition from countless organizations that represent victims of violence and sexual assault.

Frequently featured in English courses across the country, both books are accessible on two levels: as literature with a strong feminist message, and as a way to broach the difficult personal topics of violence, rape, death and grief.

For more information about the conference or the presentation, visit weber.edu/nulc/.

ATTENTION REPORTERS & EDITORS: If you are interested in covering this event, please contact the office of Media Relations at 626-7212 or Student Activities at 626-7850 at least 24 hours before the event so we can reserve a seat for you and/or for a photographer. Thank you for your continuing coverage of WSU.